Skip to content
Advertisement

Michael Lawson, Thomas Parham honored by city of Los Angeles

Advertisement

As part of the ongoing celebrations the city is holding in honor of Black History Month, the mayor and city council focused recently on achievements of prominent African-Americans with ties to the city and observed a moment of silence in memory of Kobe Bryant.

“This is not just a celebration for, of and about African Americans. This is an American and Los Angeles celebration about all of us,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “Our diversity didn’t arrive lately. It was here in the seed that was planted in the beginning with our native brothers and sisters that were here when everybody else arrived.”

Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Herb Wesson and Curren Price led the presentations honoring singer-songwriter Jeffrey Osbourne; Los Angeles Urban League President Michael Lawson; Sandra Evers Manly, an author and vice president at Northrop Grumman Corp.; Cal State Dominguez Hills President Thomas Parham; artist Bryan Lee Tilford; and Tiffany Haddish, who was among several also recognized with several comedians recently at City Hall.

The mayor led a tribute to Bryant, the former Los Angeles Lakers star who died along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven other people in a Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas.

A 24-second moment of silence was held in honor of the victims and recognizing Bryant’s second basketball number with the Lakers.

Garcetti also unveiled the city’s 2020 African American Heritage Month calendar.

Advertisement

Latest